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A Guide For Candidates: Eat This!

Remember the cheesesteak scandal earlier this week? (Although it should be noted that both Clinton and Obama did eventually have a cheesesteak before the polls closed in Pennsylvania. Crisis averted!) This has been a year where America's food obsession has factored into politics, with surveys being conducted on how your eating habits affect your vote, and the news "stories" about Clinton's beer swigging and Obama's remarks on arugula. Apparently the right food choices can turn into votes. With eight states left in the race, we've provided this handy guide to the coming contests and their accompanying snacks. Print it out and you can eat along!

Indiana (May 6th) Clinton has already staked a claim on Indiana by consuming pizza, beer and Crown Royal. If Obama wants to compete, he's got to go all out—and we're not talking about a filet mignon at St. Elmo's, either. We suggest he get his picture taken chowing down on a pork tenderloin sandwich, finished off with a piece of sugar cream pie like a real Hoosier. A snack of popcorn wouldn't hurt, either.

North Carolina (May 6th) The state fruit is the Scuppernong grape and the official vegetable is a sweet potato, but South Carolina is better known at the ancestral home of Krispy Kreme. That's an easy one. The tricky issue here is barbecue, as the state has been split for years over what constitutes the which type of barbecue sauce is the One True Sauce. The political-culinary dilemma is whether to appeal to voters in the eastern part of the state, home of the vinegar-based sauce, or those in the west, home of the more famous red barbecue sauce. Just like a primary, you can like both but only vote for one.

West Virginia (May 13th) West Virginia's not exactly known for its haute cuisine. A survey of local offerings tells us that the best bet is enjoy a pepperoni roll and find a different way to pander.

Oregon (May 20th) All politics are local, and luckily for those who campaign in the Pacific Northwest, the local food is fantastic. Who could pass up a Tillamook cheddar, washed down with a microbrew?

Montana (June 3rd) Easy one. Impress the voters by ordering a bison burger. Bonus: Unlike almost everything else on this list, bison meat is actually lower in fat than your average burger.

South Dakota (June 3rd) They have an official state dessert! Kuchen, which is basically coffee cake, was anointed in 2000. But while campaigning for votes on South Dakota's (largely Democratic) Native American reservations, expect to see both Barack and Hillary eating frybread.

Is it really necessary for the candidates to eat their way across America? Would you be offended if they didn't eat your state food while campaiging? And which of these foods made you want to break your healthy eating habits? (I could be all about the fry bread, personally.)